Week #17: Rollin' through the City

I was in Chicago for a work conference this week and was able to extend my stay one additional night. My wife decided to join me for the last two days. She took the train into town for a fun weekend. We read an article a short time ago about architectural tours in Chicago. My wife thought I needed some culture and researched various walking tours. I decided to ratchet it up a notch and do the tour on a Segway. It turned out to be a great decision.





After a brief ten minute crash coarse on how to operate a Segway, we hit the road. Surprisingly, it only took a few minutes to get the hang of it. Even though our tour lasted two and a half hours, it seemed to go by too fast. We spent most of the time by Lake Michigan zooming by the museums (Shedd, Field, Adler, etc.), sculptures, Soldier Field, and various 1920's era buildings. Our guides were very nice and informative (even though one of them was the exact clone of my wife's Father and sounded like him to). Cool dude.





We learned a little about architecture and a lot about Segways. By the time our tour was over, our entire group was cruising around like veterans. Those things are amazing. To move forward, backward, or side-to-side you just shift your weight around. There is some balance "thingy" in the machine that prevents you from falling. They go up to 12 mph and become very easy to handle. Next time you are in the windy city (apparently many cities do these tours) give the "Segway Architectural Tour" a try. You won't regret it.

Week #16: Rollergirls

I always wanted to make it to the Derby, but I assumed it would be of the Kentucky variety. Yet this week, I found myself at a Roller Derby competition. I went with a good friend of mine who attended one of their matches last year. He and I were surprised by how many people were there. We should have known this was coming when we stopped at a restaurant fifteen minutes away and saw a couple of guys with "Brew City Bruisers" t-shirts on. I couldn't believe how many people were into this.

All of the seats were taken when we arrived, so we did the "standing room only" option. I had to learn some of the rules of the game: 5 players each side, 1 jammer (who scores all the points), and 1 pivot. They skate around a flat track and score points whenever the jammer passes someone from the opposing team. We struck up a conversation with a very nice woman. She happened to be the mother of two of the skaters. I got the back story on why one daughter went by the name of "Milwaukee's Breast". Apparently, she wanted to be called Milwaukee's Beast but the local paper misspelled her name to be breast instead of beast, so she decided to run with it. Good choice. Her other daughter goes by the name " The Other White Meat" and I questioned what does the family call her on Thanksgiving. The comment surprisingly fell flat. Overall, the women were very athletic and put on an entertaining show.

The Rushin' Rollettes ran right over the Shevil Knevils in the first match. The next few games were much closer. The women gave themselves great names. In the pictures above, I am being given a headlock by "Servin' Justice", had an awkward moment with "The Sea Hag", an interesting moment with the woman (?) in red, and got angry with the "Termiskater". After the Derby we had a great talk with Servin' Justice and Termiskater. In fact, Termiskater invited us to the "after party" when they closed down. As fun as that sounded, we had to be on our way and sadly had to decline the invitation. All and all, it was a fun night and I recommend anyone to give the Roller Derby a try. For those of you who do, here are the official fan rules (from the program) ... 1) No spitting on anyone you're not related to 2)No swearing around kids or old people 3) Wear deodorant at all times 4) No dying in the stands during a bout. How can anyone go wrong by following these practical simple rules? You can't! Mark your calenders for when the next Roller Derby event is in town.

Week #16: Photos

Dave and the "Termiskater" and apparently the roller derby fans weren't feeling charitable on this night (unless you count a nice comb donation).

Week #15: Extra Photos

A blurry picture of the action and dinner before going to the big fight with my brothers.

Week #15: The Sweet Science

I had never been to a boxing match until this week. I was reading an article in the paper last week about a promising up and coming young boxer named Luis Arias. It went on to say that he was fighting the next week about an hour south of me. I mentioned it to my wife and she said I should give it a shot. I called my two brothers and the night was on.

We met for a great dinner beforehand and then were on our way. We were going to the Wisconsin Golden Gloves semifinals. When we arrived, we had to use the restroom and found a victorious fighter (Daniel Rivera 141 lb. weight class) cleaning himself up after the fight. I talked to him and challenged him to a fight (you can see the pre-fight picture above), but was denied. He was a real cool dude. We proceeded to see about fourteen fights in all. Our sight lines were very good (the third row). We saw many knockouts and a lot of beat downs. A couple guys were definitely bleeders (see picture above). Towards the end of the evening, the more seasoned heavyweights came up. The matches became more even and the fights were very exciting. Our boy, Luis Arias, won a closer than expected fight and I look forward to hearing a lot about him in the future. It was so entertaining that my brothers want to do it again next week for the statewide finals. I had a lot of fun and would recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach. It definitely wasn't Las Vegas, but the fights were still a good time and a nice night out with my brothers. I can see now why boxing is called "the sweet science".

Week #14: No Meat, No Chicken, No Fish, No Dairy ... Make Goldie Go Crazy!!

Don't let the smiling face (you see above) fool you. I was a full-fledged Vegan this week. I have learned now that vegetarians are WIMPS! I spent the entire week eating like a vegan. This means that you can't eat anything that had a face or a family. I almost messed up my first morning by trying a handful of dry honey nut cheerios (I didn't). I noticed the smiling bee on the cover of the breakfast cereal. I googled Vegan and found out that not only milk but honey was also off limits.

I had lunches of wheat berry salad, Garden Burgers, cashew nuts or a salad with no cheese, eggs, or ranch-like dressing. I learned that Tofurkey is incredibly edible when you add spicy organic salsa (and are extremely hungry). To Vegans, tofu is a miracle food!! With the proper spices and sauces, it can be a meat, pork, or a chicken-like food.

The hardest part was going out to restaurants. I don't know how us vegans do it. Me and my Hackey Sack people have it rough. We are overlooked!! I was supposed to go out with a client for a steak dinner this week and I had to postpone. I checked the menu online and called up the restaurant, but they had no real vegan options for me. On my fifth day, my wife found the only certified green restaurant in the State of Wisconsin.

http://www.cafemanna.com/index.html

It was my vegan paradise! I could be myself without feeling ostracized. Bring on the Falafel with Citrus Tahini and the Baba Ghanouj, but I was warned about the Green Juice. Our waitress read us the "Vegan Miranda Rights" for this drink: I must drink it within thirty minutes, my face may become flush (it did), and I may feel a little woozy after drinking this. It is made of kale, swiss chard, bok choy, cucumber, romaine, ginger, etc. Loaded with vitamins and minerals to help detoxify. It was probably the healthiest drink I have ever had, but it tasted like drinking fresh-cut grass in a blender. You can see the misleading smile on my face above, while drinking this concoction.

This week was a lot more difficult then I thought it would be. Lots of cous cous, tofurkey, garden burgers, oranges, pickles, and water make a man hunger for a HAMBURGER!! 12:01 a.m. this Monday, that is what i am going to do (the alarm is set).

Week #13: We are talking BIG Bucks!

I had an opportunity to go to a "meet and greet" with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks this week. I have been a long-time season ticket holder with them. I think I am a dwindling breed ( NBA season ticket holder). A good friend and I went to the new Harley Davidson museum to meet with the Bucks. We had a good twenty minute conversation with Charlie V. (great guy with a strong conviction towards charitable causes). It was nice to talk to R-J, I found out we lived at the same apartment complex at the University of Arizona. It was a fun night.

The pictures above are of Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd, and Richard Jefferson.

Week #12: Flowers anyone?

My wife mentioned that I should try to do something nice this week. I thought and thought what could I do. My idea was to bring flowers to some random women in an independent living retirement community. This was not as easy as I thought it would be. I ran into some trouble with the new HIPAA laws in our state. After inquiring at multiple nursing homes, I realized that there might be a problem with random men wandering the halls and delivering flowers to people that they do not know. I was able to fulfill my mission this week after sifting through the legal red tape. I am so glad that I got to deliver my first bouquet with "The Duke", who is pictured above. She was very appreciative and we had a nice long visit. I learned a lot about her two sons and I was very impressed with the facility where she lives. Her friend, Marion, also receive a bouquet of flowers from me. She really enjoyed them as well. I was happy to brighten someones day.

Week #11: On pins and needles!

I tried acupuncture this week. I have wondered why people do this for some time. I called and set up an appointment for a consultation and an acupuncture session. My consultation went for about 45 minutes and the doctor asked me why I wanted a treatment. He thought that I seemed very young to be there without a major physical ailment. He wished more young people would seek preventive medicine. I talked about my every day stresses and he decided to give me a treatment. Prior to that, I was informed why we all need good Qi (the vital life force that is inherent in all things). I was also shown a large Chinese Medical book just about the human tongue. Apparently, solely by looking at your tongue, they can tell if you have major problems and where they are located in your body. I got a bad diagnosis when he looked at mine. Sadly, I have a very high chance of developing cancer some day -- Bummer! Oh well, better live life to the fullest and cherish every day (... or get a healthier tongue). Maybe I shouldn't have eaten spicy salsa the night before my tongue examination!


After I mentally recovered from this news, it was time for my acupuncture session. I informed the doc that my left Achilles heel has been bothering me. I went into the room and rolled up my pant and shirt sleeves. He asked if I ever meditated before, (I had not) and now was my time. I put the headphones on and had multiple needles stuck in my legs, arms, and head. The voice in the headphones told me to breathe as one and be like still water. I tried to relax as much as I could, but I couldn't get over the fact that there was a needle in MY FOREHEAD! About an hour later, the session was done and the needles were removed. The hardest part was trying to get him to take a picture of me afterwards. Uncomfortable! By the way, my Achilles actually feels better.

Week #10: Sports show

Change of plans this week. I originally planned on doing an ice related event this week. But, when unseasonably warm 55+ degree weather hit Milwaukee all this week, I had to find something different. Milwaukee has had a sports show since 1939 and I have yet to make this event. As a read about this, I realized that over 150,000 people attend this five day event. I wish I knew beforehand that everyone showed up at the same time (noon on Saturday) as I did! I went with my brother and children on a very rainy day and we had a looong walk to the show from our parking spot (after a 20 minute wait to park).

We finally arrived and were surprised by the hugeness of the show. My kids did end up having a good time. They went on boats, ATV's, checked out tents, and climbed rock walls, etc.

Coolest thing that my brother and I did was reconnect with two great guys that were our Canadian hunting guides (along with my Father and my other brother). I have not seen Warner and Les for 2 1/2 years. Last time I saw them it was snowing in the middle of May when we were on our way back home from Manitoba, Canada after a fun week. Great time catching up with them and sharing old and new stories.

It might be some time before I go back to the Sports Show, but the kids had a good time. I have included a few pictures. First one is my brother and I with Warner and Les, and the rest are the kids on boats, ATV's, next to animal tail hats (not sure what the animal is), and my daughter climbing the rock wall.

Week #9: Photos

Me and my Snowshoe Ladies

Week #9: Walking in the snow and trying to stay out of the gutter

Two for one this week. We headed to Door County WI this weekend and my wife mentioned that I should try snowshoeing. I checked around the Internet and found a place that rents out snowshoes for the day and found out that they have "snowshoe only" trails in the state park across the street. It was getting late in the day so we decided to take the kids bowling for the first time (we would snowshoe the next morning).

It was an old school bowling alley in Sister Bay. To our dismay, we found out they did not have bumper guards (which prevent children from getting gutter balls). But they did have this strange metal slide contraption, which made it easier for the kids to roll the ball down the center.

It did not stop MANY MANY gutter balls. The kids got frustrated a few times, but after all was said and done I think everyone had a good time. Thanks to the magical bowling contraption, our youngest child had the highest score (even though none of us broke 100).

The next day, I went snowshoeing for the first time. I drove to Peninsula State Park and parked the car getting ready for my 3 1/2 mile hike. I got out and while trying to figure out how to put on my shoes, I spotted two women walking up to the trail. I mentioned to them that it was "my first time". I am glad that I spoke up. They were great ladies. Susie "the expert" and Pam "the fellow first timer" and I hit it off right away. Susie actually put on my snowshoes for me and asked if I wanted to walk with them. So off we went with Susie showing her friend Pam and I the ins and outs of snowshoeing. It was great to have a guide and the three of us had good conversation throughout. They left a little before me and I finished the 1 1/2 hour hike by myself. I loved it! The hike was beautiful with oak and pine trees as far as the eye could see in all directions. I am especially grateful to Pam and Susie for the help and conversation. I hope to run into them on a hiking trail sometime soon.

I have included photos of me with Susie and Pam and some scenes from the hike. Also from bowling, I included a short video of my youngest knocking down a spare!

Week #8: What have you been up to? ... its been a long time!

On Monday of this week, I was invited to dinner by a good friend of mine, Jan. When I showed up, I realized that he had invited a few other guys including my brother, and a guy that I had not seen for 30+ years. Due to my 52 week blog, I had been meaning to call him in the next few weeks. I wanted to get in touch with someone I had not seen in a long time. I was beat to the punch when I surprisingly saw my old friend David. I told him "I was just about to call you." Which he of course didn't believe. How many people that you have not seen or talked to in 30 years can you get away with the "I was just about to call you" line. We grew up two houses away from each other and hung out all the time. David and I ended up having a great conversation throughout the night. We used to be inseparable best friends when we were young, until we got in a fight around first grade. We never really saw each other again. We talked about the past and realized how silly our fight was (we were fighting over an Intellivision game (called Utopia ... great old school game though)).

I plan on staying in contact with David and we are hopefully going to go out for lunch soon. I had a great time catching up and finding out about his wife, children , and occupation.

When Jan drove me home that night, he kept calling me "Earl". When I explained why I wanted to reconnect with an old friend, he said it sounded like that show "My Name is Earl". So now I have a few friends calling me Earl. Either way, I can cross off : reconnecting with an old friend

from my list.

The photos above is my kindergarten picture with David and I circled. Coincidentally, my wife's picture is above David's in the upper right corner.

Week #7: It's time to Face It

This week I joined the ever growing Facebook community. I have read a lot about its popularity and I know many people who are members. I felt like I might be a little too old for this type of thing, but have grown to really like it this week. It becomes quite addictive. Actually, some guy named Matt Brusky wants to be my friend (I think I remember him from high school). This will take some time to get used to. Will you be my friend??? Just kidding, sounds a little creepy though. So far I only have a couple of "friends", but I am sure they will increase as the year goes on. If you check back in a few weeks, I will update my facebook experience.

Week #6: Doin' the Harlem Shuffle

Crazy time this week!

A while back, I lived in New York City for about a year and I still get back to NYC for work around 2-3 times a year. Realizing that I was heading back for a conference and had one free evening for myself, I thought what can I do that I have never done before in the city? Then it struck me, how about Harlem and if you are doing Harlem, it might as well be the Legendary Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre. I found out later that I missed the 75th anniversary of Amateur Night by one week. Apparently, there were lots of celebrities here last week. They have had Amateur Night every Wednesday nonstop since 1934. http://www.apollotheatre.org/

I had to find someone who would come with me to the show. I immediately called my friend (and former colleague) Tim to see if he had any interest. After a little encouragement, he relented and said he would go with me, but he said it sounded "a little crazy". I checked online for tickets and was offered front row center. That seemed a little too close, so I choose right of center section row B. Little did I know there was no right section row A! We ended up in the front row, so close that my legs were leaning on the stairs that performers use to get on the stage. They had to kick some people out of our seats when we arrived just before showtime. It was now time for the show.

The show started strong with the host singing some great intro songs followed by a funny monologue. Quickly though, I (along with Tim) became part of the show! The MC asks what are we doing there? He followed up by asking me to get up on STAGE! I reluctantly did so, and while Tim tries to take my picture he is also brought up on stage. I am thinking "What the hell am I doing up here!" My plan was not to be ON the stage! I can't see anything except very bright lights and then the host continues to give me a hard time. Tim jokes that we (Him and I) all look alike. Which was misunderstood, "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING WE ALL LOOK ALIKE!!" The people around us boo while we explain that we said that WE (being Tim and I) look alike (which we did with matching jeans black shoes etc. by accident) not you. Anyway, he roasts us on stage for a minute or two and then moves on. I am proud to say that I now have been on the same famous stage on the same Amateur Wednesday night as James Brown, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Lauren Hill and many others.

The night was really fun. We learned about Harlem's famous Tree of Hope that all performers rub for good luck. We got to loudly boo people off the stage and jump up and down to cheer the great ones. Some really talented people performed that night. As my friend said, the night was definitely a Home Run! Great great time!

I have included a couple of pictures. The third one shows the Tree of Hope in the background and the last one shows how close the seats were (picture taken after the show). Also I filmed two short videos quickly before security grabbed me again.